Xavier took Julie to see the aurora.
The breathtaking natural spectacle stretched across the sky, but he found no joy in it.
Julie screamed in excitement beside him, but her voice only made him feel irritated.
He stepped away to call his security. "Why haven't I heard from you? Is Brianna safe at home yet?"
The call went unanswered.
Xavier suddenly felt uneasy, and a memory surfaced in his mind.
He remembered the moment when he had handed Brianna over to the kidnappers. He had watched the hope fade from her eyes.
He also remembered how her eyes had once been bright whenever she looked at him in high school.
He didn't know why, but looking back, his heart throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache.
He realized that Brianna must have been afraid at that moment.
Although he believed that h
